Ex-CIA Officials Tied To Rendition Program to Head Obama’s Intelligence Transition Team

[EFerrari]

Ex-CIA Officials Tied To Rendition Program And Faulty Iraq Intel Tapped to Head Obama’s Intelligence Transition Team

John Brennan and Jami Miscik, both former intelligence officials under George Tenet, are leading Barack Obama’s review of intelligence agencies and helping make recommendations to the new administration. Brennan has supported warrantless wiretapping and extraordinary rendition and Miscik was involved with the politicized intelligence alleging weapons of mass destruction in the lead up to the war on Iraq. We speak with former CIA analyst Melvin Goodman and Michael Ratner of the Center For Constitutional Rights.

It has been less than two weeks since Barack Obama’s election and speculation is already rife about the change he intends to bring to Washington"s intelligence community. The Washington Post reported last week that Obama is expected to replace the country"s top two intelligence officials over their support for controversial Bush administration policies like torture and electronic surveillance. Director of National Intelligence Mike McConnell and CIA Chief Michael Hayden reportedly wish to remain on the job.

No appointees have been named as yet but questions are already being raised about the people heading Obama"s transition efforts on intelligence policy. John Brennan and Jami Miscik, both former intelligence officials under George Tenet, are leading the review of intelligence agencies and helping make recommendations to the new administration. Brennan has supported warrantless wiretapping and extraordinary rendition and Miscik was involved with the politicized intelligence alleging weapons of mass destruction in the lead up to the war on Iraq.

http://www.democracynow.org/2008/11/17/obama_taps_ex_cia_officials_tied

Still waiting for transcript. Video seems to be up now.

[marylanddem]

1. Not good.

[shadowknows69]

2. Not comforting, unless he needs them to tell him everywhere we've stashed people.

[EFerrari]

4. I was really hoping he'd get rid of Mueller in FBI. Now I wonder

if that Bush fixer is going to be asked to stay.

[stray cat]

3. People in the know at the CIA are unlikely to have clean hands after 8 years

I have no trouble with them reviewing programs and offering advice. The decisions will come from Obama and then I can judge what he plans to do.

[arcadian]

6. Never thought I'd see an apologist for torture on here.

But there ya go.

[EFerrari]

8. Miscik is one of the war criminals who lied us into Iraq.

I'm still trying to find out detail on Brennan. He led the Terrorist Threat Integration Center, then appears to have cycled into private industry a lot like Cofer Black. Brennan had some connection to the contractors that rifled the Obama and Clinton passport files.

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

5. OMG!!!!!!!! OBAMA'S JUST LIKE BUSH!!!!!!!! VOTE NADER!!!!!!!11111111

[EFerrari]

11. Good morning, OMC.

Aren't you curious as to how the Obama admin will transit into the most polluted White House in history? I am. Plus, I've been trying to keep track of the intelligence guys.

Miscik was one of Tenet's people where Brennan was one of Rumsfeld's. That's interesting, all by itself, because these two were at war with each other during the Tenet - Rumsfeld/Cheney power struggle.

[Ghost in the Machine]

12. Keep your friends close... and your enemies closer...

Didn't Lincoln appoint one of his fiercest rivals to his cabinet?

Maybe Obama just wants information these guys, and *only* these guys, can give up..

:shrug:

[bigtree]

7. .

[EFerrari]

9. Greenwald on Brennan:

Glenn Greenwald
Sunday Nov. 16, 2008 09:29 EST
John Brennan and Bush's interrogation/detention policies

(updated below)

Last Wednesday, I wrote:

It simply is noteworthy of comment and cause for concern -- though far from conclusive about what Obama will do -- that Obama's transition chief for intelligence policy, John Brennan, was an ardent supporter of torture and one of the most emphatic advocates of FISA expansions and telecom immunity.

Yesterday, Andrew Sullivan noted that observation but then linked to this post from James Gordon Meek of the Counterrorism blog, which reported that Brennan -- a top CIA aide to George Tenet during most of the Bush administration -- is a leading candidate to replace Mike McConnell and become Obama's Director of National Intelligence. Meek, not providing any links or citations, wrote: "Among many things Democrats like about the softspoken Brennan are his anti-torture views" (emphasis added). Andrew is right when he says: "They both can't be right."

more --

http://www.salon.com/opinion/greenwald/

[asteroid2003QQ47]

10. U.S. Presidents are essentially figure heads,...

that is the sad truth. If the electorate is lucky they will be thrown a few crumbs.
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Apparently, a democracy is a place where numerous elections are held at great cost without issues and with interchangeable candidates.
--Gore Vidal